US embassy cable - 01HANOI2109

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 002109 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PREL, AMGT, VM 
SUBJECT:  CODEL HOLLINGS' MEETINGS WITH VIETNAMESE OFFICIALS 
 
1.  (SBU) SUMMARY.  SENATOR ERNEST HOLLINGS (D-SC) LED A 
DELEGATION TO HANOI AUGUST 17-19, INCLUDING MRS. HOLLINGS; 
LILA HELM, STAFF DIRECTOR, APPROPRIATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE ON 
STATE, COMMERCE AND THE JUDICIARY;  BETTY PITTERMAN, 
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT; AND US ARMY ESCORT OFFICER COL. TIM 
PETERSON.  IN MEETINGS WITH THE FOREIGN MINISTRY (MFA) AND 
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY (NA), THE CODEL WAS ABLE TO EXPRESS 
SUPPORT FOR FURTHER IMPROVEMENTS IN THE ALREADY GOOD 
BILATERAL RELATIONS BETWEEN THE US AND VIETNAM, ASSURE THE 
VIETNAMESE THAT THE U.S. CONGRESS WOULD RATIFY THE BILATERAL 
TRADE AGREEMENT (BTA) SOON, AND REQUEST ASSISTANCE IN 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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SEEKING A SITE FOR A NEW U.S. CHANCERY.  THE CODEL ALSO MET 
WITH THE EMBASSY COUNTRY TEAM, AND ATTENDED A DINNER IN ITS 
HONOR HOSTED BY THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
FOREIGN MINISTRY 
---------------- 
 
2.  (SBU) THE DELEGATION MET ON AUGUST 17 WITH VICE FOREIGN 
MINISTER NGUYEN VAN NGANH.  (NOTE:  SENIOR VFM BINH WHO 
COVERS AMERICAS ISSUES AND WHO NORMALLY MEETS AMERICAN VIPS 
WAS TRAVELLING IN CUBA. MOST OTHER SENIOR LEADERS WERE 
INVOLVED WITH THE ONGOING CENTRAL COMMITTEE PLENUM SESSIONS. 
END NOTE)  ALSO PARTICIPATING WERE ASSISTANT FOREIGN 
MINISTER LE VAN BANG (FORMER VIETNAMESE AMBASSADOR TO 
WASHINGTON), AMERICAS DESK DEPUTY DIRECTOR DOAN XUAN HUNG, 
AMERICAS DESK SENIOR EXPERT PHAM HOANG KIM, CHARGE 
D'AFFAIRES HARTER, POL/C BELLARD, AND EMBASSY INTERPRETER 
THANH VUONG. 
 
3.  (SBU) VFM NGANH DESCRIBED VIETNAM'S POLICY OF ECONOMIC 
RENOVATION ("DOI MOI") SINCE 1986 AND ITS CONSISTENT FOREIGN 
POLICY IN SUPPORT OF INDEPENDENCE, SOVEREIGNTY, 
DIVERSIFICATION, MULTI-FACETIZATION, AND INTEGRATION INTO 
THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY.  HE CONFIRMED THE IMPORTANCE OF 
GOOD RELATIONS WITH THE US BASED ALSO ON EQUALITY AND MUTUAL 
BENEFIT, WHICH CONTRIBUTES TO PEACE AND STABILITY IN THE 
REGION AND WORLD.  HE WELCOMED RECENT POSITIVE STEPS IN 
CONGRESS ON THE BTA AS WELL AS THE JACKSON-VANICK WAIVER, 
DESPITE SOME PROPOSED ANTI-VIETNAM BILLS AND DRAFT 
RESOLUTIONS IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, WHICH WERE NOT 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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IN THE INTEREST OF EITHER COUNTRY AND WHICH HAD UPSET MANY 
VIETNAMESE.  HE DESCRIBED PREPARATIONS ON THE VIETNAMESE 
SIDE FOR BTA RATIFICATION.  THE TRADE MINISTER HAD ALREADY 
SUBMITTED A REPORT ON THE BTA TO THE NA, WHILE THE PRIME 
MINISTER HAD SUBMITTED IT TO THE STATE PRESIDENT FOR 
CONSIDERATION.  THE STATE PRESIDENT IS EXPECTED FORMALLY TO 
REQUEST THE NA TO RATIFY.  HE THANKED SENATOR HOLLINGS FOR 
HIS GREAT CONTRIBUTIONS AND EXPRESSED A HOPE FOR EARLY 
RATIFICATION.  HE ADDED THAT THE SENATOR'S VISIT WOULD ADD 
TO A CLEARER UNDERSTANDING IN THE CONGRESS OF THE POSITIVE 
CHANGES AND REALITIES IN VIETNAM TODAY. 
 
4.  (SBU) SENATOR HOLLINGS TOLD THE VFM THAT HE EXPECTED 
FAVORABLE VOTES ON THE BTA BY BOTH THE SENATE AND HOUSE 
SHORTLY AFTER LABOR DAY, WITH RATIFICATION COMPLETED BY THE 
END OF NOVEMBER.  HE EXPRESSED CONFIDENCE THAT RATIFICATION 
WOULD HELP AMERICAN INVESTORS UNDERSTAND BETTER THE POLICY 
OF FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN OUR COUNTRIES AND WOULD LED TO MORE US 
INVESTMENT HERE.  HE WELCOMED VIETNAMESE INVESTORS TO COME 
TO SOUTH CAROLINA. 
 
5.  (U) SENATOR HOLLINGS SAID THAT ONE OF HIS PRIMARY 
REASONS FOR COMING TO HANOI WAS TO LOOK AT THE NEED FOR NEW 
FACILITIES FOR THE US EMBASSY.  VFM NGANH PROMISED THAT THE 
MFA WOULD COORDINATE WITH RELEVANT AUTHORITIES IN SEEKING A 
SUITABLE PLACE, NOTING THAT THE VIETNAMESE SIDE HAD OFFERED 
SEVERAL SITES TO WHICH THE US HAD NOT AGREED.  HE REQUESTED 
SIMILAR COOPERATION FROM THE US IN FINDING A NEW EMBASSY 
SITE IN WASHINGTON FOR VIETNAM.  SENATOR HOLLINGS SAID THAT 
HE HOPED THAT THE TWO SIDES COULD MOVE FORWARD ON THE SITE 
ISSUE, AND NOTED THAT SECRETARY POWELL HAD BEEN IMPRESSED BY 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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HANOI DURING HIS VISIT IN JULY. 
 
6.  (U) SENATOR HOLLINGS ALSO POINTED TO HIS EXPECTED 
ATTENDANCE AT A CATHOLIC MASS ON AUGUST 18 AS EVIDENCE OF 
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN VIETNAM. 
 
7.  (U) AFM BANG SAID THAT RECENT VISITS BY SECRETARY POWELL 
AND A/S CRANER HAD HELPED FURTHER IMPROVE BILATERAL 
RELATIONS, AND THAT VIETNAM WANTED MORE HIGH-RANKING 
VISITORS FROM THE US.  HE ADDED THAT FM NGUYEN DY NIEN WOULD 
VISIT WASHINGTON IN SEPTEMBER. 
 
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY 
----------------- 
 
8.  (U) ON AUGUST 18, THE DELEGATION MET WITH MEMBERS OF THE 
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, INCLUDING DO VAN TAI, CHAIRMAN OF THE 
FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE;  VU MINH MAO, VICE CHAIRMAN OF 
THE COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND ENVIRONMENT; 
NGUYEN VAN PHUC, DIRECTOR OF THE ECONOMIC AND BUDGETARY 
DEPARTMENT;  TRINH DINH SON, STAFF MEMBER OF THE FOREIGN 
RELATIONS COMMITTEE;  AND DOAN XUAN HUNG OF THE MFA'S 
AMERICAS DESK.  CHAIRMAN TAI ALSO HOSTED A LUNCH IN HONOR OF 
SENATOR AND MRS. HOLLINGS. 
 
9.  (U) CHAIRMAN TAI HIGHLIGHTED THE IMPORTANCE OF VISITS, 
ESPECIALLY BY MEMBERS OF THE U.S. SENATE AND HOUSE OF 
REPRESENTATIVES, IN FURTHER DEVELOPING RELATIONS BETWEEN THE 
TWO COUNTRIES.   NOTING THAT IT WAS HIS FIRST VISIT TO 
HANOI, SENATOR HOLLINGS DESCRIBED HIS AMAZEMENT AT THE LEVEL 
OF ACTIVITY AND DYNAMISM.  HE CITED HIS DISCUSSIONS ON 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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AUGUST 17 WITH MEMBERS OF THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 
AND SAID HE LOOKED FORWARD TO INCREASED US INVESTMENT IN 
VIETNAM.  HE EXPECTED A FAVORABLE VOTE ON BTA BY THE HOUSE 
SHORTLY AFTER LABOR DAY, WITH A FAVORABLE VOTE IN THE SENATE 
IN SEPTEMBER OR EARLY OCTOBER.  HE EXPRESSED CONFIDENCE THAT 
RATIFICATION WOULD BE A SIGNAL OF THE FRIENDSHIP AND STRONG 
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OUR TWO NATIONS, NOTING IN PARTICULAR 
GOOD COOPERATION ON HEALTH ISSUES, DRUGS, AND LAW 
ENFORCEMENT. 
 
10.  (SBU)  SENATOR HOLLINGS REQUESTED HELP FROM THE NA IN 
FINDING A NEW EMBASSY SITE IN HANOI.  CHAIRMAN TAI PROMISED 
TO TELL THE GOVERNMENT OF THIS REQUEST.  HE DISCUSSED THE 
DEVELOPMENT OF BILATERAL RELATIONS SINCE THE ESTABLISHMENT 
OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS AND SOUGHT FURTHER ECONOMIC, 
POLITICAL, AND TRADE RELATIONS.  HE EXPRESSED APPRECIATION 
FOR THE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THIS PROCESS BY BOTH HOUSES OF 
CONGRESS AS WELL AS BY THE US EMBASSY AND AMBASSADOR 
PETERSON AND CHARGE HARTER.  HE ASKED FOR SENATOR HOLLINGS' 
SUPPORT FOR BTA RATIFICATION IN THE SENATE, NOTING THAT 
IMPROVEMENT IN TRADE WOULD SPARK FURTHER IMPROVEMENTS IN 
OTHER ASPECTS OF THE RELATIONSHIP.  EARLY RATIFICATION WOULD 
BE A GOOD SIGN OF US WILLINGNESS TO ADVANCE THE 
RELATIONSHIP, HE ADDED.  HE PLEDGED THAT VIETNAM WAS 
PREPARED TO RATIFY THE BTA AFTER THE US CONGRESS HAD DONE 
SO.  HE SAID THAT THE PRIME MINISTER HAD SUBMITTED THE BTA 
TO THE STATE PRESIDENT, WHILE RELEVANT ECONOMIC AGENCIES 
WERE ALREADY IN THE PROCESS OF PREPARING TO IMPLEMENT ITS 
TERMS.  HE ASKED FOR THE SENATOR'S SUPPORT FOR ASSISTANCE ON 
THE TECHNICAL ASPECTS OF IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BTA, SUCH AS 
WITH THE JOINT COMMITTEE. 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 03        HANOI  02109  02 OF 02  280908Z 
 
11.  (SBU) SENATOR HOLLINGS PROMISED FULL COOPERATION ON BTA 
RATIFICATION, PREDICTING NO PROBLEMS IN EITHER THE SENATE 
FINANCE OR COMMERCE COMMITTEES.  HE SAID THAT THERE WOULD BE 
NO AMENDMENTS ON THE SENATE SIDE, ALTHOUGH THERE APPEAR TO 
BE SOME EFFORT TO ATTACH SOME ON THE HOUSE SIDE REGARDING 
FREEDOM OF RELIGION.  HE PROMISED TO REPORT TO THEM THAT 
VIETNAM DOES HAVE FREEDOM OF RELIGION, SINCE HE WOULD BE 
ABLE TO ATTEND A CATHOLIC MASS LATER THAT DAY IN HANOI. 
 
12.  (SBU) CHAIRMAN TAI EXPRESSED A HOPE FOR STRONGER LINKS 
BETWEEN THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY AND CONGRESS, AS WELL AS FOR 
FURTHER SHARING OF EXPERIENCES WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF A 
LEGAL SYSTEM.  HE NOTED FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS ON THE NUMBER 
OF TRIPS TO THE US BY NA MEMBERS, BUT WELCOMED US 
CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATIONS TO VISIT VIETNAM. 
 
13.  (U)  CODEL HOLLINGS DID NOT HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO 
CLEAR THIS CABLE BEFORE DEPARTURE. HARTER 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED